University Of Arizona Agrees To $2.5 Million Settlement, Endowment For Slain Professor
By Corinne Murdock |
On Tuesday, the University of Arizona (UArizona) announced a $2.5 million settlement with the family of slain Professor Thomas Meixner.
Former UArizona graduate student Murad Dervish fatally shot Meixner in October 2022. In a copy of the settlement obtained by AZ Free News, UArizona also agreed to establish and fund an endowed professorship in the Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences (HAS) in Mexiner’s name.
UArizona also agreed to provide continued mental health treatment to HAS faculty, staff, and students directly and immediately affected by the shooting, as well as a tuition and fee waiver to certain HAS students directly and immediately affected by the shooting. For the latter provision, the university will apply the tuition and fee waiver prospectively and retroactively to the semester in which the events preceding the shooting began.
The Meixner family filed a notice of a claim against UArizona last March shortly after the disbanding of an independent faculty committee investigating the shooting. They originally sought $9 million from the university.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Meixner’s wife, Kathleen, said that they’re focused on preventing similar tragedies in the future. She ended on a note of support for the university that her husband knew and loved.
“So often in the aftermath of school shootings, we learn all the ways that they could and should have been prevented. That is exactly what happened here,” said Kathleen. “My family and I will continue meeting with the University of Arizona President, its Police Chief, and multiple other members of the University administration to make certain it upholds its commitment to make our community safer. Together, we will Bear Down, and find our way forward with courage and love for the Wildcat community which Tom cherished.”
In their original claim, the Meixner family accused the university of “repeatedly ignoring the clear and present danger” that Dervish posed by “openly advertis[ing] his intent to murder.” The family’s notice offered a summary of Dervish’s actions and escalations in threats for nearly a year leading up to the shooting, as well as details of a previous order of protection against Dervish from a previous university that UArizona failed to catch.
Meixner’s family alleged that Dervish’s intentions were so well known that Meixner’s last words were: “I knew you were going to do this!” Dervish violated the terms of his expulsion and ban from campus, as well as a no contact order, prior to the shooting.
“Dr. Meixner’s murder was not a random act of violence. The university knew Dervish planned to kill him and allowed it,” said the family. “Dervish’s homicidal intentions, capacities and history, as well as his utter disregard for the university’s unenforced sanctions, were so patently obvious that the University’s multiple failures to protect Dr. Meixner constitute an outrage.”
As reported previously, Dervish had a lengthy history of violence and crime. His criminal background included three prison stints and several instances of attempted murder: a pizza man at Penn State University and his own mother. He had also assaulted his father previously.
In a video of his interrogation following the shooting, Dervish expressed satisfaction over Meixner’s death. His trial date was pushed back to this May pending a doctor’s report on Dervish’s sanity.
“Well, at least I fulfilled my mission,” said Dervish.
In a press release issued Tuesday, UArizona alluded to the terms of the settlement’s non-monetary commitments to support the well-being of those affected by the shooting, as well as their agreement to have the Meixner family assist in future planning and implementation of safety and security measures.
Corinne Murdock is a reporter for AZ Free News. Follow her latest on Twitter, or email tips to corinne@azfreenews.com.
